It's been quite a year for Quvenzhané Wallis, the young star of the the indie movie 'Beasts of the Southern Wild.' / H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY

by Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY

by Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY

This time, it might be the tale of nine-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis and her magical 2012. The first-time actress began her wild ride a year ago at the Sundance Film Festival with her breakout performance as Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild.

"We were under the impression that they would show the movie and after Sundance that would be it," says her mother, Qulyndreia, who responded to an audition call for young actors that took place near their Houma, La., home. Quvenzhané was just 5, and her mother says "we had no idea in a million years that we would be where we are today."

Beasts became a Sundance sensation, taking top honors. Then the dreamy tale of a young girl surviving in a harsh dystopian future wowed audiences at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The following month the movie opened in the U.S. to rave reviews - film critic Roger Ebert called Wallis "a force of nature".

Meanwhile, Quvenzhané charmed everyone in her path - from her first moments on the Sundance red carpet to her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

And the young star could shine just as brightly in 2013: She's frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for the Academy Awards nominations being announced Jan. 10.